The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded four contracts under Project MORRIGHAN, a research and development initiative aimed at creating a universal carriage system for logistics and casualty evacuation using heavy-lift autonomous systems.
The project will develop prototypes that can be used across air and ground platforms to transport supplies and, in extreme cases, evacuate casualties from the battlefield.
According to the MOD, the goal is to create a “platform-agnostic universal carriage system” that allows for rapid movement of supplies, equipment, and medical materials across different operational environments.
The system would enable military personnel to pre-load payloads onto a single transport module, which could then be attached to or detached from both air and ground-based autonomous vehicles as needed.
The four companies awarded contracts under the project are:
- Skylift UAV Ltd (£150,000)
- Aether Aerospace Ltd (£149,400)
- ISS Group Ltd (£75,000)
- Black Space Technology Ltd (£74,400)
Each firm will develop working prototypes of the system, which will be tested in land, littoral, and sea domains to evaluate logistical applications and medical evacuation potential. The MOD has stated that these systems must function effectively in contested and complex environments, ensuring supplies reach frontline forces quickly and safely.
The total funding for Project MORRIGHAN is £448,800 (excluding VAT), with contracts awarded following a restricted procurement process. The MOD received 15 bids, all of which were submitted electronically.
The MOD has emphasised that autonomous logistics and medical evacuation are key priorities as the UK Armed Forces adapt to modern, high-intensity conflict scenarios. Project MORRIGHAN is expected to inform future doctrinal applications and enhance battlefield sustainability through unmanned logistics solutions.
Forgive me but it’s a know fact that our key enemy very specifically attacks medical evacuation or other medical capabilities..it’s one of the big problems that they have managing the care pathway in ukriane…if the Russians see an ambulance they go out of their way to try and kill it.
So not sure having a blinking obvious autonomous vehicle for Casvac is a good idea…..
As a resupply platform it’s okay I guess, you loose the platform but you don’t loose any manpower, if it gets hit (doesn’t solve the problem of the supplies needing to get through).
As an evacuation platform it just strikes me as problematic. If it’s IRC registered it’ll need red crosses, and limits its utility as a supply vehicle, if it’s not IRC registered then it’ll be a target even to those who don’t break the rules like Russia. It will also need someone on board to monitor casualties, and preform any emergency interventions.
Drone evac just never seems like a good idea to me.
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Do these numbers seem a little on the low side? You couldn’t buy a Camcopter for that kind of money, nevermind something capable of Casevac. If anyone is injured enough to need that, would you trust them to a £150K autonomous drone with no accompanying carer?
As far as I can tell Black Space Technology Ltd build a rapid Casevac….capsule, but not the drone to put it on.
Skylift UAV Ltd don’t advertise drones with more than a 15kg payload.
For Aether Aerospace Ltd it’s more like 5kg.
Finally, ISS do one at 20kg — hurrah, best of breed, provided you are very skinny indeed. I wonder how much that Black Space capsule weighs.
Let’s hope they are further along than their websites indicate.